Braised Greens & Cannellini Bean Panini

Braised Greens & Cannellini Bean Panini

5 Reviews

From: EatingWell Magazine, March/April 2012

A creamy spread of cannellini beans cooked with onion, garlic and white wine is the perfect match for tender braised greens. Press the two between pieces of crusty whole-wheat bread and you have an outstanding vegan panini.

Preparation

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add leeks and the chopped stems and cook, stirring, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in ¼ teaspoon each salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Add the sliced greens and broth. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the greens are very tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover. If there's any liquid left in the pan, continue cooking for another minute or two until it is nearly gone.

To prepare bean spread: Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions (or shallots) and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add wine and cook until most of it is evaporated, 3 to 6 minutes. Stir in beans and ⅛ teaspoon each salt and pepper; cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Puree the bean mixture in a food processor until almost smooth. (Use caution when pureeing hot foods.)

To prepare panini: Coat one side of each slice of bread with cooking spray. With the sprayed side down, spread equal portions of the bean puree on 6 slices of bread. Top each with equal portions of the braised greens. Top with the remaining pieces of bread, sprayed-side up. Press in a panini maker until hot and crispy. (Don't have a panini maker? See Tips.)

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate braised greens and bean spread in separate containers for up to 3 days.

Tips: To clean leeks, trim and discard green tops and white roots. Split leeks lengthwise and place in plenty of water. Swish the leeks in the water to release any sand or soil. Drain. Repeat until no grit remains.

Reviews 5

Soooo Yummy
I made this using Swiss chard & kale. I didn't have any stock(and usually don't) so I added the same amount needed and replaced with water And a tiny corner of bullion cube.
I loveeeeed it and so did my super picky European mom.
Pros: Healthy and delish

August 07, 2012

By: EatingWell User

Really tasty!
I loved this recipe! Used book Chou and chard as my greens as that's what I had and am less thrilled with the bitterness of collards. This reminded me of one of my favorite spinach-artichoke dips in flavor, without all the fat. May add a bit of lemon to it to brighten the flavors a bit more, but thought it was delicious as made. Dry panini'd on my cruisinart grill.

July 19, 2012

By: EatingWell User

A perfect combination of flavors and textures.
This marriage of braised greens and creamy bean puree is so delicious that the bread is optional. Really, just serve these two as side dishes tonight, then make panini with the leftovers tomorrow. Try making a double, or heck, even a triple batch of the bean mixture and freezing the extra in small containers. Then you'll be able to make these with less work and fewer dishes next time.
Pros: Very healthy meal, very delicious. You will want to have them again soon!
Cons: These are quite time consuming and create a big pile of dishes.

June 26, 2012

By: EatingWell User

While it does take about an hour to make, this recipe is worth it. I make it just for myself and eat it all week long for lunch.

March 05, 2012

By: EatingWell User

Decent but time intensive
I love the idea of this sandwich. It's a tasty way to incorporate more of the foods we ought to be eating (beans and dark green leafies) in a way that's satisfying and full of flavor. Except it takes forever. There are few sandwiches that are worth spending an hour to cook and then another hour to clean up after. And this one, while tasty, is not one of them. If there was a faster way to get it together, I would like it more.
Pros: bold and healthy flavors
Cons: takes forever and dirties a bunch of pans